I miss her and I’ll miss her always. My aunt, Catherine passed away on Christmas 1997, and it was the biggest chock for my whole family and me. I was living in Syria at that time and my parents flew to Switzerland for the funeral. I remember exactly when my dad called my sister and me in the living room to tell us the news. My dad’s face was a face I had never seen before, looked as pale as ice and chocked like if he had seen a ghost. I could see there was something wrong but nothing could have prepared me for that kind of news.
The words came out and I thought at first it was a joke. I asked him the question and already knew the answer. My sister started crying and my dad fell in tears too. I couldn’t cry, just wouldn’t come out, I was too stunned by the horrible news. My parents had go to Switzerland the week after for the funeral and the family. We had school going on and my parents decided to leave us with friends and go by their own.
I stayed at a very good friend of mine, and my sister at one hers. They left and, where going to stay there at least a week. The time I spent there was really hard. Not only because the most helpful people I could have been with where away but I kept on having flashbacks.
My aunt had been an important person in my life since I was born. She helped me a lot through rough times and always was there if I needed anything. I could always remember the big family parties we had and she would give me money for a present. She was always nice to me and was a big part in my success at anything I was doing. I even used to call her 2 nd mom sometimes. She could explain anything to me and I would understand straight away.
The Essay on Big Families
Do you think there were more advantages or disadvantages to being part of a large family in the past? I think that there are advantages but also disadvantages. It is an advantage because the family is a present that God gives to us for all the life, we have to take care of it and make it stronger as the years pass ; they are our support always, in good and bad moments, even when we don’t ask for ...
She helped a lot for my education and always was there to help. My parents knew that she could teach me and show how hard it is these days and how hard I should work. That is why they always made sure I saw her enough but it never was for me. She died of a suicide and she that because at a certain point in her life she had enough of suffering.
She was suffering because 6 years before her death, her only son died of suffocation in the bath. He was only 6 months old. Isn’t ironic the number 6. after he’s death she never was normal again. She kept on having breakdowns and always needed special attention and care. She really showed me at that time how important children are for their parents and they have o endure.
Life is hard and as she used to say: “we are salmons that are trying to jump their way up the river. The path is not easy but we can succeed if we work hard and believe.” As I said in the beginning, I miss her and always will.
